Quotes by Samuel Johnson - AI Generated Quotes

Samuel Johnson

There are few things that we so unwillingly give up, even in advanced age, as the supposition that we still have the power of ingratiating ourselves with the fair sex.

-Samuel Johnson

age

Man alone is born crying, lives complaining, and dies disappointed.

-Samuel Johnson

alone

If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself left alone. A man, sir, should keep his friendship in a constant repair.

-Samuel Johnson

alone

Poetry is the art of uniting pleasure with truth.

-Samuel Johnson

art

The true art of memory is the art of attention.

-Samuel Johnson

art

There is nothing, Sir, too little for so little a creature as man. It is by studying little things that we attain the great art of having as little misery and as much happiness as possible.

-Samuel Johnson

art

It is dangerous for mortal beauty, or terrestrial virtue, to be examined by too strong a light. The torch of Truth shows much that we cannot, and all that we would not, see.

-Samuel Johnson

beauty

Dictionaries are like watches, the worst is better than none and the best cannot be expected to go quite true.

-Samuel Johnson

best

The return of my birthday, if I remember it, fills me with thoughts which it seems to be the general care of humanity to escape.

-Samuel Johnson

birthday

Getting money is not all a man's business: to cultivate kindness is a valuable part of the business of life.

-Samuel Johnson

business

Such is the state of life, that none are happy but by the anticipation of change: the change itself is nothing when we have made it, the next wish is to change again.

-Samuel Johnson

change

Courage is the greatest of all virtues, because if you haven't courage, you may not have an opportunity to use any of the others.

-Samuel Johnson

courage

He that fails in his endeavors after wealth or power will not long retain either honesty or courage.

-Samuel Johnson

courage

Disease generally begins that equality which death completes.

-Samuel Johnson

death

Prepare for death, if here at night you roam, and sign your will before you sup from home.

-Samuel Johnson

death

Many things difficult to design prove easy to performance.

-Samuel Johnson

design

The world is seldom what it seems to man, who dimly sees, realities appear as dreams, and dreams realities.

-Samuel Johnson

dreams

It is better that some should be unhappy rather than that none should be happy, which would be the case in a general state of equality.

-Samuel Johnson

equality

Subordination tends greatly to human happiness. Were we all upon an equality, we should have no other enjoyment than mere animal pleasure.

-Samuel Johnson

equality

Disease generally begins that equality which death completes.

-Samuel Johnson

equality

All theory is against freedom of the will all experience for it.

-Samuel Johnson

experience

Exercise is labor without weariness.

-Samuel Johnson

fitness

No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned... a man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company.

-Samuel Johnson

food

All theory is against freedom of the will all experience for it.

-Samuel Johnson

freedom

Friendship, like love, is destroyed by long absence, though it may be increased by short intermissions.

-Samuel Johnson

friendship

If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself left alone. A man, sir, should keep his friendship in a constant repair.

-Samuel Johnson

friendship

The feeling of friendship is like that of being comfortably filled with roast beef love, like being enlivened with champagne.

-Samuel Johnson

friendship

The mind is never satisfied with the objects immediately before it, but is always breaking away from the present moment, and losing itself in schemes of future felicity... The natural flights of the human mind are not from pleasure to pleasure, but from hope to hope.

-Samuel Johnson

future

The future is purchased by the present.

-Samuel Johnson

future

The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.

-Samuel Johnson

good

A man is in general better pleased when he has a good dinner upon his table, than when his wife talks Greek.

-Samuel Johnson

good

Your manuscript is both good and original but the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good.

-Samuel Johnson

good

I would not give half a guinea to live under one form of government other than another. It is of no moment to the happiness of an individual.

-Samuel Johnson

government

If your determination is fixed, I do not counsel you to despair. Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance.

-Samuel Johnson

great

Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness it certainly destroys liberty, and it makes some virtues impracticable, and others extremely difficult.

Samuel Johnson

There are few things that we so unwillingly give up, even in advanced age, as the supposition that we still have the power of ingratiating ourselves with the fair sex.

Man alone is born crying, lives complaining, and dies disappointed.

If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself left alone. A man, sir, should keep his friendship in a constant repair.

Poetry is the art of uniting pleasure with truth.

The true art of memory is the art of attention.

There is nothing, Sir, too little for so little a creature as man. It is by studying little things that we attain the great art of having as little misery and as much happiness as possible.

It is dangerous for mortal beauty, or terrestrial virtue, to be examined by too strong a light. The torch of Truth shows much that we cannot, and all that we would not, see.

Dictionaries are like watches, the worst is better than none and the best cannot be expected to go quite true.

The return of my birthday, if I remember it, fills me with thoughts which it seems to be the general care of humanity to escape.

Getting money is not all a man's business: to cultivate kindness is a valuable part of the business of life.

Such is the state of life, that none are happy but by the anticipation of change: the change itself is nothing when we have made it, the next wish is to change again.

Courage is the greatest of all virtues, because if you haven't courage, you may not have an opportunity to use any of the others.

He that fails in his endeavors after wealth or power will not long retain either honesty or courage.

Disease generally begins that equality which death completes.

Prepare for death, if here at night you roam, and sign your will before you sup from home.

Many things difficult to design prove easy to performance.

The world is seldom what it seems to man, who dimly sees, realities appear as dreams, and dreams realities.

It is better that some should be unhappy rather than that none should be happy, which would be the case in a general state of equality.

Subordination tends greatly to human happiness. Were we all upon an equality, we should have no other enjoyment than mere animal pleasure.

Disease generally begins that equality which death completes.

All theory is against freedom of the will all experience for it.

Exercise is labor without weariness.

No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned... a man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company.

All theory is against freedom of the will all experience for it.

Friendship, like love, is destroyed by long absence, though it may be increased by short intermissions.

If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself left alone. A man, sir, should keep his friendship in a constant repair.

The feeling of friendship is like that of being comfortably filled with roast beef love, like being enlivened with champagne.

The mind is never satisfied with the objects immediately before it, but is always breaking away from the present moment, and losing itself in schemes of future felicity... The natural flights of the human mind are not from pleasure to pleasure, but from hope to hope.

The future is purchased by the present.

The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.

A man is in general better pleased when he has a good dinner upon his table, than when his wife talks Greek.

Your manuscript is both good and original but the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good.

I would not give half a guinea to live under one form of government other than another. It is of no moment to the happiness of an individual.

If your determination is fixed, I do not counsel you to despair. Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance.

Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness it certainly destroys liberty, and it makes some virtues impracticable, and others extremely difficult.

Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.

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